The research program will use a cell culture model to examine the response of bone cells to biomaterials. Cells will be cultured on corona- discharged-polystyrene or on dishes which have been sputter-coated with commercially pure titanium in order to assess whether exposure to Ti alters cellular response to growth factors. Three hypotheses will be tested: (1) Cell proliferation and matrix synthesis are altered when osteoblast-like cells are grown on Ti; (2) Matrix vesicle and matrix calcification are altered when these cells are cultured on Ti; and (3) Regulation of matrix synthesis and calcification by recombinant human transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFbeta) are altered when cells are cultured by Ti. To test the validity of these hypotheses, the following aims are proposed: (1) To compare cellular proliferation and matrix synthesis of fetal rat calvarial (FRC) cells cultured on conventional corona-discharged-polystyrene (plastic) v. ti-coated surfaces; (2) To characterize matrix vesical structure and function and matrix calcification by FRC cells cultured on plastic v. Ti-coated surfaces; and (3) To determine whether culture on Ti alters FRC cell response to TGFbeta.